12-28-08 Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell - Fiction

4 - The second in Cornwell's Grail trilogy, Vagabond consists of two huge battles; one in England and one in France. Thomas of Hookton, after traveling to England to speak to a monk about his father, is put upon the path of the grail again, but ends up coming to the aid of a friend in France. Cornwell writes engaging descriptions of the battles, describing the fortifications of both sides. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy to see if Thomas finds the grail.

12-25-08 The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore - Fiction

5 - My favorite Christmas story ever! Only Christopher Moore could write a Christmas tale that includes Santa, brain-eating zombies, IKEA, a Micronesian fruit bat, and the DUMBEST angel you will ever find. The Stupidest Angel helps to bring the holidays into perspective. After all, you could have brain-eating zombies after you.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

As a holiday treat, I have done a mid-week update and added three more books. I'm just reading like a fiend! Right now, in the spirit of Christmas, I am re-reading my favorite holiday story, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore. Watch for my review this weekend!

12-24-08 Chosen by P.C. and Kristin Cast - Fiction

5 - Just when you thought Zoey Redbird's life couldn't get any worse. She's lost one of her best friends, her boy troubles keep multiplying, she is set even farther apart from other fledglings by her goddess given abilities and now Zoey finds that she is increasingly alone with her troubles except for a girl who has been her enemy from day one at the House of Night. Not knowing who to trust with her new found knowledge of a great betrayal at the school, she begins to isolate herself from her friends and begins a "friendship" with the one person who can possibly understand. Then the vampire murders start. I'm telling you, this series will suck you in! (pun intended)

12-23-08 Betrayed by P.C. and Kristin Cast - Fiction

5 - The House of Night series continues to impress me. Delving further into the lives of vampires and the physiological changes, the Casts follow Zoey, the unique vampire fledgling, who is now the leader of the Dark Daughters. As she tries to change the Dark Daughters into an exclusive group that reflects excellence not just popularity, Zoey faces her hardest trial yet as she loses one of her best friends. She also becomes involved in a human police case surrounding the kidnapping and murder of teens. Plus, her boy troubles don't get better they just get added to. This is an addicting series that has a solid base in reality even though its main character is changing into a vampire.

12-22-08 Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher - Fiction

2 - Eh. That's what I have to say about this book. Just.....Eh. I won't reread this, I don't want to read the sequel, I don't care what happens to the characters. The initial premise is interesting, a boy suddenly finds that statues can move and no one else can see them, but that's it. George, the boy, starts running at the end of chapter two and doesn't stop until the end of the book. What's he running from? Evil statues. What's he running to? Who freakin' knows! Nothing is explained in this book, not the who's, the why's, or the what the hell's. The whole point of the book is that George needs to find the Stone Heart but when he finally gets to that part he decides that maybe what he thought was the Stone Heart isn't and it could be something else. What? Don't know. And don't care.

12-20-08 HeartSick by Chelsea Cain - Fiction

4 - A good thriller with an interesting twist, Heartsick has a female serial killer who is central to the story but is not the focus of this investigation. Detective Archie Sheridan was meant to be her victim, but instead survived when she turned herself in. Now he is returning to active duty to lead the task force investigating the disappearances and subsequent deaths of 3 high school girls. On his instructions, Susan, a reporter, is brought in to shadow him as he works the case. The effects of his imprisonment by "The Beauty Queen Killer" give depth to Archie's character and Susan's quirkiness adds a new flavor to the story while helping to demonstrate the facade people portray to the world regardless of their inner demons. A quick and thrilling read.

12-18-08 Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead - Fiction

4 - Lawhead does an interesting retelling of the Robin Hood tale. Set in Wales during the French occupation, Hood begins with the spoiled prince who suddenly finds himself fatherless and in the middle of a political battle for his lands. Lawhead introduces the reader to Little John and Friar Tuck, but not by those names. The twist is in the translation. An exciting read, Hood is for anyone who ever found the tales of Robin Hood to be thrilling but always felt there was more to the story.

12-14-08 Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast - Fiction

5 - I really like the reality the Casts created for this series. Vampires are among us and when people are teens they are chosen to become a vampire. It isn't explained how they are chosen, but they are found by a vampire tracker and then marked with the outline of a crescent moon on their forehead. Thus begins a new life and our story of Zoey. Zoey has been chosen and moves to the House of Night, basically a vampire boarding school. Zoey and her friends are typical teens in that they think and talk about boys, fitting in (especially now), clothes, and what their future holds. But none of the characters are shallow; all the characters are well developed an remind me of what it was like being a teen. the story is great, the characters are better, and I'm excited to read the next book in the series. NOTE FOR PARENTS: This book does contain swearing and talk about sex. But if you really think your teen doesn't know this stuff already, you've forgotten what it's like to be a teen.

12-13-08 THR3E by Ted Dekker - Fiction

4 - A stupendous thriller, right up there with Harlen Coben. Dekker picks up and goes from the beginning and keeps you hooked all the way to the end. THR3E is fast paced and full of so many twists and turns that you'll change your mind repeatedly about what's going on before the end. This title in found in the Religious Fiction section; I don't see that it would need to be, though I understand the classification. If you love a good thriller, definitely check this book out.

12-9-08 The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn - Non-Fiction

5 - This is a great book for a chef or a wannabe chef. Flinn takes us on her journey through her life and her time at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, she takes a chance and enrolls when she loses her job in London. The trials and tribulations of attending the toughest and most famous cooking school are amusing, touching, and endearing all at once. Chefs will pick up cooking and food preparation tips as well as full recipes at the end of each chapter. Flinn shares not only what she learned at school about cooking, but also what she learned of life. Along the way, she falls in love, gets married, and begins to look at the world in a different light because of her associations with the students, teachers, and culture of food at Le Cordon Bleu.

12-5-08 The Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan - Fiction

5 - Damn! Damn! Damn! Now I'm going to have to wait until spring sometime for the rest of the story! 'sigh' OK, here's the scoop: Read this entire series. You will find it in the Young Reader section. Don't be a snob; pick it up. Flanagan writes a wonderful tale and this, the fifth book, continues with more adventure. The characters have aged and gained new responsibilities and have new adventures to go with them. Will, no longer and apprentice, is selected for a secret mission to find out what is going on in one of the Northern fifes. His contact once there turns out to be an old friend. But, of course, the mission isn't simple and ends up being not so secret after all.

12-4-08 Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews - Fiction

4 - This was a funny and light mystery. Meg Langslow is the maid of honor in three weddings this summer, all back in her hometown. Which is small. Very small. she's related to almost everyone in some manner or another. And in small town relative fashion, those relations are all odd in their own way. Some are very odd. Since this is a mystery, you have dead bodies start to pop up as well as poisonings and various accidents. As I said, this is a light mystery and all the quirky characters make it funny and very enjoyable.

12-2-08 Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

4 - I remembered how much I liked this world and Shinn's characters. I probably should have brushed up on the Twelve Houses by re-reading the previous book, but it came back to me. Every book Shinn writes has a character involved in self-discovery and it makes you love them all the more as you grow with them. The focus of this book is a minor character from the King's Riders, Wen. I wasn't sure I'd really get interested, but I should have known better. Two years have passed in Gillengaria since the events in "Reader and Raelynx" and the familiar characters have grown and lived their lives but they are as enjoyable as before. Wen is the focus, but we get to touch base with the original six which lends such a sense of familiarity to her books and makes them thoroughly enjoyable.

11-30-08 What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn - Fiction

2 - Nope, didn't really like this one. I'd heard a lot about it, it won a Costa First Novel Award, but it just was not what I thought it would be and wasn't enjoyable either. This is another case of don't believe the cover blurb. this is not a mystery, this is not really about the girl who disappears, this is a character study of lonely, lost people. And boring. I finished it for two reasons: it was short and I really hoped to find out what happened on the day Kate Meaney disappeared. You do, in the very last chapter. Finally.